


Grisha's Brat

by BrofriendWrites



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Gang World, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), College Student Armin Arlert, College Student Eren Yeager, College Student Mikasa Ackerman, Cussing, Eventual Levi/Eren Yeager, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Gang Leader Levi, Gang Violence, Gangs, M/M, Mafia Boss Kenny, New York City, Power Bottom Eren Yeager, Slow Burn, Sweet Armin, Switching, Top Eren Yeager, Top Harry, Violence, alternative universe, ereri, gun use, mafia, older Eren, younger Levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 16:45:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16201583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrofriendWrites/pseuds/BrofriendWrites
Summary: Eren Yeagar is a normal part-time working college student who has been feeling uneasy the last few days on his way home from work. Like he's being watched. When his sketchy new coworker ends up being a part of an established gang, Eren finds himself wrapped up in a world he's never had any part of.Levi Ackerman was raised by the Japanese Mafia leader, Kenny Ackerman, from the age of eight years old. He was taught how to fight and take care of himself on the streets. He was raised to be the ultimate gang leader, and now he's the youngest gang leader that anyone can remember there being. There's something off about the mafia as of the late though. That asshole Kenny is after a seemingly innocent city-goer, and Levi is going to find out why.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I kinda' pumped this out in like an hour maybe two and it's kind of on a trial run right now. I'm going to see how this goes so make sure to leave a comment if you have any constructive criticism and kudos if you enjoyed reading!

 

Eren Yeager clocks out of his part-time job at Janet’s Pizzeria, waving to his coworker Sasha, a friendly girl who’s constantly taking breaks to eat, and the new employee- Eren can’t remember his name- who just glares at him. The tall guy with the blond hair has been glaring at him ever since he started the job almost a week ago. Eren’s not sure what he did to get on his bad side but he did something apparently.

“What’s his problem?” Eren grumbles to himself as he adjusts his backpack strap over his shoulder, his beat up converse splashing in a puddle that he didn’t realize was as deep as it was. The dirty street water dampens the cuff of his pants and Eren winces. 

 

The rickety subway train is only a short ride away from his apartment that he shares with his childhood friends, Armin and Mikasa, who are also fellow college students at the semi-new campus, Maria Community College.  He’s still not sure why Armin decided to go to a community college considering how smart the guy was. He was always the best at math. He was even the captain of the mathletes, though he never seemed to want to be. But he was pressured into it every year of highschool by his math teachers. 

 

Eren stares down at his shoes, his phone dead in his jacket pocket. An old man sits next to him on the subway at the first stop the train pauses at. 

“Hope I’m not intruding.” The old man says. Eren glances over at him. 

“Oh… No, it's fine.” Eren tells him. The old man seems to be in his late fifties, and blind. Goosebumps appear on Eren’s arms. Despite the old man’s glasses and red cane, he seems to be looking right at Eren through the dark lenses that don’t completely block his eyes from view. 

 

Eren turns to look back at his shoes. He feels like he’s being watched, and when he glances up toward the rest of the passengers on the subway, he swears the black guy’s gaze to his right darts away from his own, as if he’d been caught staring. 

 

Eren takes out his phone just to look busy and avoid catching eye contact with anyone else the rest of the ride to his neighborhood. When the subway finally screeches to a stop, Eren finds himself jumping to his feet in his haste to get off. When he’s on the platform, he feels a wave of relief wash over him. But only briefly. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the guy who had been watching him on the subway climbing out behind him. 

 

Eren speed walks out of the subway exit to above ground. It’s raining here. Eren flicks up the hood of his jacket and shoves his hands into his pockets. The neighborhood Eren lives in isn’t the best but he wouldn’t say it’s one of the worst. Not by a long shot. But today he might say different. He feels off, his heart pounding in his chest as he jogs to take shelter under the closest awning as it suddenly starts pouring. 

 

When Eren has taken shelter from the rain, he finds his eyes darting left and right down the street in front of him. A woman is jogging toward him and he tenses until she comes and stands next to him. She was also seeking shelter from the rain. 

 

Eren shivers from the cold and releases a breath. He hasn’t seen anything fishy since he exited the subway, and his gut isn’t churning uncomfortably anymore. When the rain begins to calm, he starts in the direction of his apartment, giving a short wave to the woman who was still waiting for the rain to stop. 

 

When Eren climbs two sets of stairs to get to his front door, he struggles with his keys with nearly numb fingers before he can finally get his door open. Armin turns around where he’s sitting on the couch to peek at him, the top of his blonde head frizzy from the rough material of the sofa. 

 

“Eren,” He chirps, eyes smiling over the back of the couch. “How was work?” 

A small, tired but genuine smile crosses across Eren’s face. “Long.” He answers truthfully as he kicks off his shoes by the front door and collapses on the couch next to his friend, laying half of his body on Armin’s legs which are stretched out across the cushions. 

 

“Heavy.” Armin complains but doesn’t move. 

“Dr.Phil again?” Eren groans. Armin shrugs and offers Eren a salt and vinegar chip from the bag he’d been munching. Eren takes it and pops it into his mouth. “Is Mikasa home?” 

Armin shakes his head. “Not yet.” 

“Well, are you gonna’ cook then?” Eren looks up at his friend expectantly. 

Armin sighs and sticks out his bottom lip in a mock-pout. “On my day off?” He whines and Eren cocks andeyebrow. 

“We needa’ eat!” He pushes at Armin until he nearly falls off the raggedy couch. 

 

“Okay, okay I’m going.” Armin finally gives, snatching up the chip bag as he goes. “No more Lays for you though.”

Eren chuckles and snatches the remote from the floor, changing the channel as soon as Armin gets to the kitchen. 

  
  


Eren must doze off, because he wakes up when Mikasa opens the front door, setting her wet umbrella in the entryway. 

“How was work?” Eren asks, rubbing his eyes groggily. 

“Fine.” She answers shortly. 

Eren nods. “That’s good.” He says. 

 

“Armin, what are you making?” Eren calls into the kitchen. Armin sticks his head around the corner. 

“Just some stir-fry. It’ll be done in a few minutes.” 

“I’m going to get changed.” Mikasa states as she walks back to her room. Eren is still in his uncomfortable work clothes but he can’t bring himself to get up, so instead he throws his forearm over his eyes and dozes in and out of sleep for a few more minutes. 

  
  
  


Mikasa hits him with a pillow and Eren moves his arm to blink up at her. It takes a few seconds for her dark brown bob and sharp but attractive features to come into focus. 

“Dinner’s ready.” She tells him as she turns to enter the kitchen. Eren sighs and his stomach grumbles at the smell of sauteed vegetables that wafts through the house. 

 

Eren pads into the kitchen about to grab forks and napkins for three people at the small round dining table, but finds that the table is already set. 

“You could’ve gotten me up to help.” Eren says as he takes his plate from Armin and sits down. 

“Don’t worry, you’re on dish duty.” Armin informs him as he sits down next to him. 

Eren smiles. “Of course.” He answers good-naturedly. “Thank you for dinner Arm.” 

Armin nods as he pours himself a glass of tea from the pitcher in the middle of the table before passing it to Mikasa so she can do the same. 

  
  


The next morning, Eren wakes up late for work. He skips a shower and throws on his uniform before making a cup of coffee and rushing out of the house. His backpack hits his back with every step as he jogs down the stairs to the subway station. He barely makes it through the automatic doors before the subway is moving. Eren lets out a breath of relief and slumps against the wall nearest him. 

 

He doesn’t feel uneasy on the way to work that morning. Not until he actually gets to work and is faced with the glare of his new coworker once again. This time, Eren glares back, not in the mood to try to be friendly or even civil. The new guy doesn’t back down though, only narrows his eyes even further. Time seems to stand still until Eren is called away by Sasha, who apparently needs help with something. 

  
  


Eren works a full day shift, and by the time he’s walking out the door, it’s dark out. Good thing the new guy left after a half day so Eren didn’t have to put up with him. Only a screaming kid that threw up all over the bathroom floor and someone who didn’t get the extra mushrooms on his pizza like he had requested. 

 

Eren pinches the bridge of his nose and rubs his eyes with his index finger and thumb, his migraine not easing up despite taking three Advil only an hour before. He sighs and starts for the subway station home, already dreading classes the next day. He turns down the shortcut he takes every work day; a brick alley full of litter and plants growing up the walls of the buildings on either side of him. 

 

Today, Eren has his headphones in his ears, because he was able to charge his phone halfways through the day, and although it only has like a 7% charge, it’s not dead like usual. Eren pauses when someone steps into the alley in front of him, between two more buildings. His new coworker. What was his name…? Jimmy? 

“Jimmy?” Eren asks tentatively.    
“My name is Jean.” The guy says, sneering down at Eren as he walks closer to him. 

“Listen,” Eren starts on an exhale. “I don’t know what you’re problem with me is-”

“My problem?” Jean echoes, pausing in his tracks. 

 

Eren nods, confused. “I don’t have a problem with you.” Jean says, and he sounds almost honest. 

“Then why-” 

“I was just told to keep an eye on you.” Jean cuts him off. 

“What?” Eren feels his blood run cold and the hair on his nape stand up. “What do you mean, told?”   
“By my boss.” Jean continues, shrugging a shoulder. “Better him than Kenny at least.”

“Who?” 

 

Jean freezes suddenly, eyes focused somewhere beyond Eren. Eren goes to look over his shoulder but before he can, Jean is shoving him. 

“Get down!”

There’s a gunshot that makes Eren’s ears ring. He’s on the ground, and Jean is standing over him, a gun aimed at the three men at the end of the alley, one of which is holding the gun that had just gone off. 

 

Eren wants to get up and run away, but finds himself paralyzed with fear. His breath comes in short bursts. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Jean shouts at them. “You know Levi has this covered.”

“That’s not what we were told.” One of the other men say, his voice deep and nearly nonchalant. “Kenny has put us on the job to get Grisha’s brat.” 

 

_'Grisha?_ ’ Grisha was Erens’ father’s name, but he had left when Eren was a kid. A deadbeat dad. Eren hasn’t heard from him since he was four or five. 

 

Eren finally pushes himself up, but a shoe digs into his back and pushes him back down. 

“Let me up, you bastard!” Eren cries. 

“Shut. Up.” Jean says from above him, sounding like he’s speaking through clenched teeth. Another gunshot goes off then and Eren jumps, his ears popping. Eren squeezes his eyes shut. In a sudden desperate flurry, Eren throws his arm back to knock Jean off his back and roll out from under him. 

 

“Hey!” Jean calls after him as Eren scrambles to his feet and takes off down the alley. He’s stopped in his tracks when two other men calmly round the corner, one of them pointing a gun at the middle of Eren’s forehead. Eren feels like all of the oxygen in his body has been sucked out of him. ‘ _Is this real?'_

 

Before Eren can fully process the fact that a gun is aimed at his head, two more bangs bounce off the brick walls of the alleyway, and the two men in front of Eren drop to the ground deadweight. He’s not sure if they’re dead or not, but before he can even feel sick to his stomach, he steps over them and starts running again, his breaths cutting through him in ragged exhales. 

 

When his shaking legs betray him and he trips over a broken beer bottle, which cuts up the palms of his hands when he lands, he glances over his shoulder. The guys that were cornering Jean are all gone, or lying on the ground. There are more people now though, all of them with guns in their hands and all of them looking in his direction. Through them stalks a short man in a crisp suit, jacket hanging loose over his shoulders and black hair sleek and styled neatly. He’s asian, with sharp angular features, almost reminding Eren of Mikasa.

 

He tucks his still smoking gun into his pants as he walks toward Eren, the heels of his dress shoes clicking against the bloodied concrete. 

Eren, realizing he’d been watching for several seconds, struggles to his feet. His legs are shaking so badly and cold sweat is covering his entire body. 

“Eren Yeager.” The man in the suit says as he reaches him. Eren focuses on his glossy shoes. “If you don’t want to die, come with us.” 

“No way in hell!” Eren yells at him, his voice cracking as he looks up at the man, his face distorted in fear and anger. “I’d rather die!” 

 

The man sighs, eyes sliding towards the brick wall to their right. “I didn’t want to take you by force.” He says, almost sounding genuine. The man’s expensive dress shoe lurches back before coming in contact with Eren’s head. And that’s the last thing he remembers before he blacks out. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is from Levi's point of view. Definitely some plot here. Please enjoy :) Also thank you to everyone who left a comment/kudos on the last chapter. It made me happy and gave me extra motivation to write a second chapter sooner than I thought I would.

   Levi stops in front of Kenny's door, feet clicking quietly against the marble floor. He takes a deep breath to prepare himself before he raises a hand to knock on the red mahogany wood. It bounces off the walls around him and seems to echo in his ears. 

 

            A deep voice from inside tells him to come in, sounding slightly muffled. Levi opens the door and steps inside. The floor is carpeted by a deep purple rug, the couch is leather, and the table is glass. There's a chandelier overhead that reflects its own lights across the room. The chair that Kenny sits in is a big leather office chair behind a huge mahogany desk that matches the door. 

 

           “Levi.” Kenny greets with a smile. A smile that stretches his face in an unholy manner one that would give most people chills but one that Levi was unfortunately used to.

“Kenny.” Levi responds, sitting down on the leather couch in front of him crossing one leg over the other, his foot bouncing against his knee. “Why did you call me?” Levi gets right to the point, staring down Kenny with an all too casual expression. 

 

            “Never the one to waste time, eh?” Kenny raises his eyebrows as leans forward against the desk in front of him, seeming bored. Levi doesn't say anything just continues to stare at Kenny with hard, gray eyes. Kenny chuckles. “I called you because I've recently discovered that your men are interfering.” 

“Interfering with what?” Levi asks nonchalantly. Kenny's eyes flash. 

“Don't play dumb with me you short fucker.” He scolds. 

 

Levi feels his eyes narrow but he does not move. Only his foot stops bouncing. 

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Levi tells him, his voice tight. 

Kenny eyes him for a few moments before letting out a breath. “Okay,” he agrees calmly. “Must not be what I thought then.” Levi does not move. “You're dismissed.” Kenny tells him with a wave of his hand. 

“So I came all the way here to be questioned?” Levi asks, voice flat. 

“Yes. You did. Now I have more important business to attend to. Is that a problem?” Kenny's voice is at best teasing, but more likely menacing. 

“Why would it be a problem?” Levi asks blankly, blinking at the man who raised him. 

“Exactly.” Kenny agrees, sitting back in his chair. “Have a good day Levi.” 

 

With that, Levi rises to leave, straightening out his suit jacket as he does so. As he's leaving through the front doors of the mansion, he catches a few words spoken between two of Kenny's goons as they get out of the car and begin walking up the Cobblestone steps to the mansion.

“Grisha Yeagar…”

“...key…”

“...his son…” 

“Eren…”

 

“How was your visit, Master Ackerman? I hope you found everything alright?” The driver Kenny always sends for him cuts off his concentration and Levi is yanked from his thoughts. 

“Levi is fine.” Levi responds without thinking. He hates being called by the same last name as that asshole Kenny. 

 

The ride back to where he always tells Kenny to pick him up is short, and then Levi takes the subway to his actual apartment. He’s always cautious to make sure none of Kenny’s men follow him home, but he can never be certain. Actually, it’s more likely that Kenny knows where he lives than not. Which means he just hasn’t said anything about Levi making it seem as if he lives somewhere else. Which is also a negative sign. Levi isn’t quite sure how, but he has an uneasy feeling that Kenny suspects that he’s lying about his loyalty. 

 

Levi’s apartment is quaint, but spotless. Everything is always kept neat and tidy, and the floors are never dusty. Most people would think that a gang leader would live in a rats ass, or somewhere lavish and huge in square feet. Levi lives in the middle of those two. The apartment is something normal people can afford when they’re in between the living-at-home and buying -your-own-home-with-your-wife stages of life. 

 

Levi sheds his suit and hangs it on a hanger to cover in plastic to send off to the dry cleaners later this week. He gets dressed in more comfortable, around the house clothes. A white t-shirt and some soft gray sweatpants. Levi gets the impression that most people that meet him just assume that he eats, showers, and sleeps wearing his impeccable suits. Though, that’s the impression Levi likes to leave. If people saw him as human, it would make him look weak. And with the business that he’s in, he can’t afford to look weak.

 

“Eren Yeager… “ Levi ponders, his reading glasses hanging off the end of his nose. He flips through the book that was written by Grisha Yeager that he just so happened to have on the bookshelf in his room. No wonder the name had sounded so familiar. Levi reads a few pages before he slips his glasses off his face and wipes them with the lens cloth and sets them into their case that sits neatly on the nightstand by the couch. He shuts the book and rises to return it back to its place on the shelf in alphabetical order. That’s enough thinking about Kenny and Yeager for today. 

  
  
  


Kenny doesn't contact Levi for days after that. It's a little sketchy if Levi's being honest, but at the same time he's just happy that he doesn't have to deal with him. 

 

Levi does catch wind of some more interesting news. Apparently Kenny has sent people to track down a college student. One that has no affiliation with the mafia or any gangs. Honestly he seems very normal. Reports from Levi's men said that he was almost six foot, white, brown hair, green eyes, and very very normal. All of them said they didn't have any clue as to why Kenny or his men would be hunting him down. 

 

He works part-time at a pizza place. He goes to school when he's not working. And he lives with two other college students. He's not involved in any crimes. He doesn't even sell weed. When Levi had a background check ran on him he, nothing came up. Levi is officially stumped. 

  
  


The only thing Levi can say is that the kid looks vaguely familiar. Whenever he was given photos of him from Jean, one of his most trusted gang members, he felt like he'd seen the kid before. If you ask from where, Levi can’t put his finger on it, but it's right on the tip of his tongue. It's actually bothering him quite a bit.

 

So, with no evidence to back up a full scale investigation of the kid, Levi decided to assign Jean to keep an eye on him for a bit and leave it at that. 

 

Levi was dealing with some business with a neighboring gang when he got a notification from Jean. The message just said, 

‘ **Heard some of Kenny's men heading this way. Keeping an eye on Eren might need backup’**

 

“Looks like I've gotta’ get going soon.” Levi tells Jenal, the leader of the gang down south, just a bit from Queens. He used to work for Levi, who has control of Queens, but switched over to another gang he decided was more his speed a few years back. And he's rose the ranks continuously ever since. 

 

“Yeah?” Jenal asks, setting his whiskey on the bar, the ice clinking against the the sides of the glass.

Levi nods. “Got a report from one of my guys. It was nice seeing you.” 

“You too I guess.” Jenal says, giving a nod in his direction. “You used to be easier on the eyes though, when you weren't scowling all the time.” 

Levi lets out a laugh through his nose, expression amused but his mouth unsmiling. “Yeah, well.” Levi says with a shrug. “Guess I'm not as easy as I used to be.” 

“A shame.” Jenal says with a shake of his head. 

 

“I'll catch up with you later.” Levi promises as he throws his jacket over his shoulders. “Stay out of my territory til’ then.” He throws a one hundred dollar bill on the counter to cover his and Jenal's drinks before he exits the bar. 

 

Levi contacts some of his other, most trusted underlings once he’s in his private car. As soon as he sends the mass text out, his phone begins buzzing in his hand. ‘ _ Hanji _ ’. Levi hesitates, his thumb hovering over the ignore button before he sighs and answers the call. 

“Hello?” Lavi says into the receiver. 

“Janet’s Pizzeria?!” Hanji blurts into his ear. Levi winces and pulls the receiver a few inches away from his face. “I love that joint! I’ve brought you pizza from there multiple times actually!” 

“Which I’ve never eaten.” Levi reminds her, recalling every time she’s brought him food. He always declines, and she ends up eating it all herself. Sometimes she’ll set some aside for Moblit, her ‘assistant’ on the odd occasion that she can’t finish all of the food herself, though it’s rare. 

 

“Semantics.” Hanji insists. 

“We’re not there to eat pizza, Hanji.” Levi informs her.    
“I know I know! I’m just surprised he works there is all-” She suddenly gasps and Levi stiffens. “What if I know him? What if I’ve met him before while ordering-”

“Hanji!” Levi hears himself snarl. There’s a pause and Levi uses it to compose himself, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling slowly. 

“Somebody’s a grumpy pants today…” Hanji says solemnly. 

Levi feels his left eye twitch. “I’m just really not in the mood. My drink with Jenal got cut short by this bullshit.”

“Ohh…” Hanji voices, sounding understanding. “He didn’t take it personally, did he?” 

“Let’s hope not.” Levi sighs, slumping against the leather backseat. “Are you on your way?”

 

“Yep, yep!” Hanji assures him. “I’m on the subway now, and I dragged Moblit along. Say hi, Moblit!” There’s a rustling sound as she pulls the phone away from her ear and to hold it out in Moblit’s direction. 

“Uh- hell-” Moblit starts nervously. 

“Anyway!” Hanji cuts him off energetically. I’ll be seeing you soon, squirt! Bye bye!” There’s a click as she hangs up and then dial tone.

 

If anyone else called Levi ‘squirt’, they’d probably end up with a broken arm. But Hanji is different. She’s nearly double his age, and helped protect and raise him when she used to work for Kenny. Though she’s always been quirky, she’s always been there for him also. 

 

“Here?” Levi’s driver, Marco, asks from the driver’s seat, glancing at Levi in the rearview mirror. 

Levi nods. “Yeah, here is fine. Not too close.” Levi unbuckles his seat belt and ducks out of the car, shutting the back door behind him and nodding to Marco, leaning his elbow in the open window on the passenger side. “You can leave, we’re taking Jean’s van out of here. Want the smallest amount of people here.”

Marco nods, a bit frantic. “Yessir’.” He answers eagerly, obviously relieved he won’t be the getaway vehicle. 

 

Levi taps on the roof of the car as he straightens, a cue to let Marco know he can leave. Levi watches his own reflection in the glass as it rolls up. Marco pulls out of the parking lot without saying anything else. Levi pushes a hand into his pants pocket, running his fingers over the handle of the handgun that resides there. 

 

“Leviiii~!” An irritatingly familiar voice calls to him in a hushed whisper-yell. 

“Was that you trying to be quiet?” Levi scolds her as he turns to glare at her over his shoulder. 

“Ooh, scary.” Hanji says. “You need to stop scowling so much or you’ll get wrinkles.”   
“I’m only eighteen.” Levi grumbles as he pushes two fingers in between his eyebrows. “It’s not like I care what I look like either way.” 

 

“So where is Eren, huh?” Hanji asks, glancing about. 

“How should I know?” Levi says between gritted teeth. “We’re waiting for Jean to let us know where he’s taken him.” Levi glances at Moblit, who stiffens under his gaze. “Why’d you bring him along anyway?”

“I thought he could help!” Hanji informs Levi, throwing an arm around Moblit’s shaking shoulders. “And it should be good experience for him!” 

Moblit looks everywhere except Levi’s eyes. “I-I tried to tell her not to bring me…” Levi shakes his head, genuinely hoping the kid doesn’t get hurt. 

 

Levi’s phone goes off in his pocket and he takes it out. 

‘ **Alley off 15th ave** ’ was sent to him by Connie, who must’ve gotten here before Levi. “Fifteenth avenue.” Levi says aloud. 

“That’s right up ahead.” Hanji tells him, smiling wide. 

“I know that.” Levi growls out. “Let’s go.”

 

Gunshots go off then and Levi glances back at Hanji, whose expression is as serious as it ever gets, which is only slightly. Moblit is shaking so badly Levi thinks he can hear his bones rattling. Levi begins jogging the direction from which the shots came from. He hopes it wasn’t one of his guys. 

 

When he turns down the alley, there are more people there then he expected. More of his underlings than he remembers telling to come here and more of Kenny’s men then he thought there would be. A goon farther down the alley has his gun out, and is pointing it at someone crouched on their knees. His hair is brown and his backpack looks old. 

_ ‘Eren. _ ’ Levi thinks as he pulls his .50 caliber from his pocket and aims it. Two shots in quick succession fire from the barrel of his gun, and the two guys that were looming above Eren Yeager drop dead to the ground. 

 

Next to Levi, Hanji has another on of Kenny’s men on the ground, his arms twisted behind his back. Two feet the other way, Connie, a short guy with a buzz cut, one of Levi’s most trusted underlings, has his gun pointed at another guys’ head. All of Kenny’s men are either dead or restrained. And in under five minutes. Levi feels a sense of pride in his team. 

“Good job.” Levi tells them, gaze moving from Connie, Jean, Annie, Petra, and Oruo. Only a few members of Levi’s most trusted, capable, and loyal underlings. 

 

Levi begins walking toward the kid that’s currently heaving on the ground, thoroughly terrified. 

“Eren Yeager.” Levi says, voice even. “If you don’t want to die, come with us.” 

“No way in hell!” Eren yells at him, his voice cracking as he looks up at Levi. “I’d rather die!” Levi feels something tug at his gut, but he ignores it.

 

Levi sighs, looking toward the brick wall. “I didn’t want to take you by force.” Levi tells the kid honestly. Because he didn’t. He wanted to explain everything to him, and that Levi and his men offer protection in situations like these. But Eren Yeager is obviously way too frightened and emotional to get any rational decisions out of him. So, with that thought, Levi kicks his heel against Eren’s head. 

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay sorry this took a bit to come out! Hope you like it, it's kind of a self-indulgent chapter because it's like ALL Eren and Levi interaction BUT we do get a big step in the plot so I'm happy! Please enjoy!

Eren slowly blinks his eyes open. His vision is blurry and his head throbs. He raises a hand to press against his forehead. There’s a bandage there. Eren pinches his eyebrows together as he glances about. He’s in a bedroom. It’s all gray… and definitely not his own. That’s when everything comes rushing back to him. 

Eren’s gasp echoes through the room and his heart rate picks up. He fists the gray bedding that’s over his legs, eyes narrowing in on the window to his right and the door that must lead to the rest of the house- or wherever he is. Eren slowly removes his leg from under the covers. He’s still in his work clothes but his shoes are gone. He pads across the dark wood flooring in his dirty black socks to the window on the other side of the room. 

When Eren opens the blinds, he’s greeted with the side of another building. He leans closer, nearly pressing his nose to the glass to try to count how many stories up he is. At least three, but probably more. Maybe five. There’s also no fire escape from his window. Eren lets out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. He glances toward the door, which is dark brown like the floors. 

He walks over and carefully sets a shaking hand on the silver handle. It’s cold. He breathes in, trying not to make any noise; and just as he’s about to press down, a muffled phone can be heard through the door, ringing. It’s a cell phone, and someone answers it quickly. Eren presses his ear to the door, trying to hear the voice, but the person talks so low that all Eren can hear are slight vibrations in the wood. 

After a minute or two, there’s silence, and Eren guesses that the phone call ended. He strains his ears for minutes, he’s not sure how many, to try to hear anything else in the house. He doesn’t. Not a TV, not dishes rattling in the kitchen, not a shower turning off or on. Nothing. He wonders if maybe the person left? But he didn’t hear any doors open or shut. Maybe he just couldn’t hear it? 

As slowly as possible, Eren pushes down on the door handle. It clicks and doesn’t budge. It’s locked.   
‘Of-fucking course it’s locked. You were kidnapped! You think they would just let you walk out the front door?’ Eren thinks to himself, leaning his forehead against the door, breathing heavily. ‘Why did this have to happen to me?’ 

To Eren’s left, there’s a bathroom. He relieves himself in it. It’s only a half bath, which means he’s in a guest bedroom. After he washes his hands and face and rinses his mouth out, he walks back over the the window. He wonders if he can scale down on window ledges, like people do in movies. It’s worth a look. 

With this in mind, Eren rolls up the blinds and unlocks the window before cracking it open. He’s greeted with a breeze and street noises that come from below. Eren leans out a bit to look down- but jumps nearly a foot in the air when the door to the room he’s in opens behind him. 

In a blur, Eren is on the ground, pinned by cold, thin hands, and spit landing on his cheek as he’s yelled at.   
“Are you a fucking idiot!?”   
The man- guy- kid? On top of Eren comes into focus then. His black bangs are tousled and hanging partly in his face, which looks panicked.   
“Wha-!” Eren starts.   
“Were you going to fucking kill yourself!?” The guy yells.   
“What!? No!” Eren yells back.   
The guy looks at him for a few seconds before loosening his grip on Eren’s wrists and letting go. He stands up and Eren stares up at him where he’s half sitting on the ground. “Y-you’re the guy who kidnapped me… “ Eren says. 

“I didn’t kidnap you.” He says as he runs a hand through his hair, fixing it. “You can leave.”  
Eren blinks, slowly getting to his feet. “Uh… What?”  
“But if you do,” The guy meets his gaze then, eyes hard. “You’ll die.”   
“What do you mean?” Eren asks, his voice surprisingly calm. Actually, he’s not shaking anymore either. Eren supposes after seeing the guy looking so worried about him just a few seconds before, he must not want Eren to die. The guy also looks around his age, if not younger, which helps put Eren a bit at ease.   
The guy eyes him for a few moments before nodding toward the door. “Let’s talk in the living room.” 

Eren simply nods, gaze falling to the floor. The guy isn’t wearing any socks, and his clothes look comfy. A v-neck t-shirt and some soft-looking joggers. Eren guesses he must be in his house then. He follows him out to the living room, past one more bedroom door that is closed. The living room in monochromatic and tidy. Eren isn’t surprised. The guest bedroom had been pretty much the same. 

Hesitantly, Eren sits on the leather couch, perched on the edge. The guy stands in front of him for a moment.   
“Who are you?” Eren asks him.   
He scratches the back of his head, running his fingers through his undercut. “Levi.” He says simply before walking into what Eren assumes is the kitchen. Eren blinks. ‘What’s with this guy?’

“And… where am I?” Eren calls to him. He hears dishes clinking against one another in a cabinet for a few seconds before he gets a response.   
“Do you want tea?”   
Eren blinks. “I like coffee.” He hears himself answering, his lips moving on their own.  
“I don’t have coffee.” Levi tells him. Eren doesn’t respond. There’s another minute of kitchen sounds. A package opening, another dish being taken out of a cabinet, the sink turning on. 

Eren slowly rises from the couch, the leather squeaking quietly as he does so.   
“If you leave you die.” Levi reminds him from the kitchen. Eren pauses for a second, before lowering back down. 

Eren hears the stove click on before Levi finally pads back into the living room and sits on the recliner across from Eren, resting his elbows on his knees. His eyes look tired, and very, very old.   
“Who’s trying to kill me?” Eren asks the most obvious question first.   
“The mixed mafia.” Levi tells him calmly. “One of the biggest and most successful mafia’s in New York.”  
“Why?” Eren follows up.   
“I’m not sure.” Levi says with a small shake of his head, his silky black hair moving with the movement.   
“Wha-” Eren starts, hearing his voice rise.   
“One of the top dogs of the mixed mafia raised me.” Levi further explains. “That’s the only reason I know they’re after you. I don’t know why though. They don’t trust me like they used to. They question my loyalty to the mafia.”  
“And… who are you?” Eren asks. 

Levi’s eyes slide to the floor. “I’m… a gang leader.”  
“You’re in a gang?” Eren blurts.   
Levi snorts, though he doesn’t smile. “I’m not in a gang. I own it. There are hundreds of criminals and street rats that don’t even know I’m their boss, but they’d listen to my every word. I could be speaking out of my ass and they’d treat it like the holy word.”   
Eren blinks. “I don’t… follow…”   
Levi sighs. “I don’t rob convenience stores.” Levi tells him. “I’m not a street rat that sells weed and is in a gang. My team offers protection and we do the occasional assassination.”   
“So you’re like… The chic fil a of gangs.” Eren says. 

Levi’s left eye twitches.   
“You know like… Chic fi a compared to McDonalds. They’re both still fast food but… one is less bad and has better service.” Eren explains his train of thought to Levi.   
Levi blinks at him once. Twice. Then he runs a hand over his face. Eren is embarrassed for a brief second before he catches sight of Levi’s upturned lip between his fingers. A bubble of surprised, shakey laughter pushes past Eren’s lips. Levi’s shoulder shakes the slightest before he composes himself and he raises his face.   
“What does Kenny want with you?” Levi asks, more to himself than to Eren.   
“‘Kenny’?” Eren echoes.   
“Ah…” Levi pauses, amused expression falling. He looks like he’s been caught red-handed. “Forget that name. That’ll be best.” 

Eren watches Levi as he stands from the arm-chair he’d been sitting in and begins pacing the room, seemingly distressed. His eyebrows are pinched together and his hands are clenched by his sides as he paces.   
“O-okay…” Eren agrees. “I’ll forget it.” Levi looks up at him then, almost as if he’d forgotten that Eren was there.   
“Good.” Levi tells him.   
“So… What should I do?” Eren asks. “If someone wants to kill me… and you’re offering to protect me?”   
Levi gives him a steady look, gaze unwavering. That gaze is a bit unsettling, but it’d be more fit to call it intimidating. Pretty much everything about Levi is intimidating. The way he carries himself, the way he handles a gun, even how clean his house is. It’s like Levi was programmed into a computer to be clean and intimidating. I guess the code glitched when it made him as short as he is. That thought makes Eren smirk a bit. 

“You stay with me. Or with one of my guys, if you’d rather.” Levi tells him. That jerk Jean flashes through Eren’s mind and he answers a little too quickly,   
“I’ll stay with you.”   
Levi’s eyebrows arch, seeming genuinely surprised, as if he had expected Eren to hate him or something. Well, considering Eren’s throbbing migraine, he guesses he probably should hate him. But he doesn’t and it’s strange. This guy kidnapped him and kicked him in the head! Knocked him out! What kind of first impression is that? But, after seeing the guy laugh, Eren feels like he’s not evil. He’s not in a great business, but he’s not a bad guy. He took Eren for his own good, and Eren has to take into account that when you’re in Levi’s line of business, taking extreme actions is most likely just the norm. It’s just how he thinks. 

Also, seeing how panicked he looked when he thought Eren was going to jump out of the window… He seemed genuinely panicked, like he really cared. Something in Eren chest tugs and he clears his throat, leaning back against the leather couch. It smells like leather polish. Actually, Levi’s whole apartment kind of smells like the chemical. That and other cleaning supplies. Eren eyes the side of Levi’s head. He’s sitting again but facing slightly away from Eren, hands folded in his lap, seemingly deep in thought. 

His jaw is sharp, but dainty. So is his nose and brow bone. His cheekbones aren’t very high, but his small, round, pink mouth is set in a firm line and his narrow, all-consuming eyes are distant. He almost looks like he could be pouting. Eren swallows. How can such an attractive, small guy, be capable of killing people? Levi hasn’t told him that he’s killed people but… Eren can read in between the lines. 

One second, Eren is scared to death of this guy, and the next, his heart is clenching looking at him. He’s not quite sure how to explain the emotion he feels. Maybe… affection? Like you would feel looking at a little kid or maybe something else. Either way, Eren feels like he shouldn’t feel like way toward a gang leader. Eren scratches the back of his head. 

“So… You want me to stay here right?”  
Levi jerks slightly, pulled from his thoughts. He studies Eren’s face for a few seconds.   
“Yeah.” He answers him.   
“What about my classes?” Eren paid good money for those classes. He doesn’t want to be dropped from the class.   
“What about them?” Levi seems confused as to why that would even be one of Eren’s questions.   
“I can’t just not go.” Eren tells him.   
Levi looks at him like he’s suddenly grown three heads. “That’ll be the first place your killer goes looking for you.”

Then another thought dawns on Eren. “Then… Then what about my apartment? My friends live there. Will they be in danger too?”   
Levi sits back in his chair, gaze always studying Eren with such a high intensity. “Doubt it.” He finally says and Eren lets out a small breath of relief. “They won’t want to make a big scene like that. One brat going missing for a bit?” Levi shakes his head. “Not a big deal. But three brats? That’ll get every local rat photographer and news reporter up all of our asses.”  
Eren pauses. “Are you sure? I don’t have to worry about them?”  
Levi pauses before sighing. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll ask my guys to guard your apartment.”  
“You will?” Eren brightens.   
“Well, not for free.” Levi tells him. 

“W-what?” Eren stutters out, before feeling immediately stupid. Of course Levi, a gang leader, isn’t going to protect Eren out of the goodness of his heart. Eren stands, his face aflame. “I’m a broke college student. What do you expect me to pay you?” Levi’s face darkens and he opens his mouth to say something, but Eren cuts him off. “Are you going to keep me in your debt for the rest of my life? How do I know you didn’t just kidnap me and are making everything up-”

Levi snarls and launches himself off the couch. His hand clenches in Eren’s shirt and he gets so far into Eren’s personal space that Eren can feel his breath on his face as he whispers menacingly at him. “Do you really think I’m some kind of lowly rat?” Levi spits. “That’d I go out of my way to kidnap a brat like you? This situation has to do with me in ways you don’t fucking know about, so you better keep in your place and watch your fucking mouth. You’re in my territory, which can either be a good thing, or a bad thing. That’s up to you.” Levi pants against Eren’s face for a second. “Got it?” Levi reiterates. Eren nods after another pause, and Levi releases his grip on him, settling back down into his chair and running a hand through his silky hair to smooth it. 

“Your situation involves me.” Levi repeats himself. “I’m protecting you for reasons you don’t need to know about. I know you don’t have money, and yes, usually that’d mean you’d be in debt, but for your unique situation, I have other ways you can repay us back.”  
“And that is?” Eren says, still a tad snarky, refusing to let this small fry to completely intimidate him. Levi’s eyes flash but he seems to let it go for now.   
“Reasonable requests.” Levi tells him vaguely. “Or, you know, you could die.” Levi mentions casually with a shrug of his shoulders.   
Eren feels his eyebrows narrow. “Would you really do that though?” He challenges. “You just said that you’re involved in my situation. So would you really let me die.” Eren thinks he has him trapped; that he’s called out Levi on his bluff. But apparently, Levi is much smarter than Eren. 

The corners of his lips twitch up in a cold smile. The farthest thing Eren has seen from a genuine smile, and it causes goosebumps to rise on his arms.   
“Let me make this clear:” Levi says lowly. His voice is deep and soft, but his eyes are like daggers. “If you choose to run away, I will let you. But you will be tortured by the mafia until you give them the information they want, and then they won’t kill you; a pretty boy like you will be sold off to some sick, rich old man, and then you’ll be drugged up and fucked until you die.” Something in Levi’s voice and in his eyes scare Eren. 

His words are scary enough, but something in Levi’s mannerisms tell him that what he’s saying is bad, and he may know from first-hand experience. Eren gulps and shivers. Hopefully he’s wrong, but Eren has always been good at reading people. Something like sympathy tolls along with the disgust and fear in his gut. This guy… He’s not a good guy, but he’s probably a better option than the mafia. 

Eren nods, eyes dropping to the floor. “I understand.” He says quietly. “Please keep an eye on my friends. I don’t want to drag them into this.” Levi lets out a long breath.   
“If that’s what you want.”   
“So… what do I do?” Eren asks, voice still quiet and hopeless sounding.   
“You stay here.” Levi says matter-of-factly. “Until I get more information, you stay here.”  
“What- I can’t do anything?” Eren objects, raising his head.   
“Even if you wanted, there’s nothing you can do.” Levi tells him as he stands. “You need to lie low. Keep off the streets and the subway. Keep away from people you know. Hole up here until we know more.” 

Eren sighs. He’s not much of a crier, but he feels like this would be an appropriate situation to cry in. “So I’m just supposed to trust you?” Eren asks. He was more prone to trusting the small man before he threatened him and scared the shit out for him.   
“That’s up to you.” Levi says with a shrug. “Not so much trust, but which option is worst.” With that, Levi stands and straightens out his shirt. He looks exhausted honestly, and Eren feels the same.   
“Do you have advil?” Eren asks. Levi raises an eyebrow questioningly. “Or ibuprofen? I have a throbbing migraine thanks to someone kicking me in the head.” Eren would put money down that he saw Levi’s mouth quirk up in a smirk as he turns toward the kitchen. 

“Of course I have advil.” Levi tells him. His tone makes Eren feel stupid. “I have food and whatever shit you need in the house. But put everything back where you got it, and clean up any crumbs from any food, sweep the floor if you drop something on it. I keep this place spotless and I expect it to look the same at all times.” Eren rolls his eyes but gets up to follow Levi into the kitchen. “What are you, a neat freak?” Eren says sassily as he leans his hip on the counter, eyeing the way Levi has to stand on his tiptoes to reach the advil bottle on the top shelf. Levi sets the bottle down harder than he should and shoots Eren a glare. He doesn’t say anything, but Eren gets the message: Mind your place. 

Honestly, Eren still gets the feeling that Levi is bluffing. He’s not sure what. Maybe this whole, tough guy thing is an entire bluff. Really he’s just a short, clean man with some anger issues. Eren almost snorts at the thought. Or maybe Eren just finds him attractive and a tad ridiculous. 

Eren pours two pills into his palm before tipping his head back and tossing them into his mouth, gulping them down dry. He watches as Levi stalks out of the kitchen to what Eren assumes is his bedroom. He doesn’t hear from him for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for everyone who has left comments and kudos! They mean so much and really get me motivated to work more on this story :)


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